The Ravens planned to draft Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round in April, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported. However, Sanders made it known he didn't want to be on a roster where he'd be a backup to Lamar Jackson.
Sanders will be on the opposite sideline from Jackson on Sunday when the Ravens host Cleveland at M&T Bank Stadium.
Cleveland ended Sanders' unexpected slide in the draft by selecting him in Round 5 (144th overall), three spots after the Ravens reportedly considered drafting him. Baltimore chose offensive lineman Carson Vinson instead.
A two-time MVP, the 28-year-old Jackson will be the Ravens' starting quarterback for the foreseeable future. Baltimore signed veteran backup quarterback Cooper Rush in March, and Sanders would have been competing for a third quarterback spot. Cleveland gave Sanders a better shot at becoming a starter.
Sanders is the No. 3 quarterback on Cleveland's depth chart behind starter Joe Flacco and rookie Dillon Gabriel. The Browns had five quarterbacks on their active roster at one point during training camp, but Sanders earned a spot on their 53-man roster. Cleveland traded Kenny Pickett to the Las Vegas Raiders and released Tyler Huntley, who signed with the Ravens' practice squad.
The 40-year-old Flacco will be making his first visit to Baltimore as the opposing quarterback since leaving the Ravens following the 2018 season. It remains to be seen how Sanders' future in Cleveland will play out, but according to Schefter, Sanders was close to being a Raven.
